Racing the Bus

We at FMFT like cold hard facts. Nothing gets us more excited than finally proving something one way or the other, and then still finding a way to argue about it in the pub. In addition to our recent investigations into the price of bikes we now have great pleasure to bring you (or bring you great pleasure to have…) our latest piece of foolproof investigative journalism:

Is the bike faster than the bus?

Right, so this one seems easy. I know I have to leave the house an hour before work if I get the bus to get there in time. I have to leave only half an hour before work to get there on my bike. Therefore the bus is slower? Except that the hour factors in a total of about a mile walking to get to a bus stop, waiting time at the stop, which can vary considerably, and doesn’t allow for getting to work slightly early when it all comes together.

What interested me is whether the actual journey on the bus was faster than the bike ride. For this experiment I would be using a bike, a bus (which I would graciously share with other users) and another piece of FMFT-recommended kit, Nokia Sports Tracker, which is free and will quickly have you obsessed with how fast you are going, especially as it allows you to compare different days’ rides online.

To establish a base for the experiment I rode to work a few times. According to the tracker my average speed was between 11 and 13mph, so let’s say 12mph. I stopped at all relevant places and generally rode sensibly, so that the results wouldn’t be confused by not obeying the law, as I assumed the bus would. My maximum speed was over 30mph on one ride, which seems dubious, so I’m plumping for the next highest of 24mph.

I then selected a bus. The one I eventually decided upon was almost certainly a Volvo B7TL, putting out an impressive 250hp and conveniently going towards my work. The power alone suggested that the bike’s time was in for a pounding, even when factoring in bus-stops.

So for the results: The bus journey was over the same distance as the bike ride and showed a top speed of 30.5mph. So far so good for the bus. However the telling figure was the average speed. The bus averaged just 8.5mph over the route, and therefore took nearly an extra ten minutes to complete the course.

So there you have it. Even with a bus that goes form right outside your house to right outside your work, and with no waiting around, riding a bike will still be faster. As long as you ride at a similar speed to me. And the traffic’s about the same. And the same number of people want to get on the bus as did on the test bus…

It will definitely be cheaper anyway.

A